1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of currency handling systems and, more particularly, to a multi-pocket currency handling system for discriminating, authenticating and/or counting currency bills.
2. Background
A variety of techniques and apparatus have been used to satisfy the requirements of automated currency handling machines. At the upper end of sophistication in this area of technology are machines which are capable of rapidly identifying, discriminating and counting multiple currency denominations. This type of machine typically employs either magnetic sensing or optical sensing for identifying the denominations of bills in a stack and discriminating between different currency denominations.
Magnetic sensing is based on detecting the presence or absence of magnetic ink in portions of the printed indicia on the currency by using magnetic sensors, usually ferrite core-based sensors, and using the detected magnetic signals, after undergoing analog or digital processing, as the basis for discrimination. The more commonly used optical sensing technique, on the other hand, is based on detecting and analyzing variations in light reflectance or transmissivity characteristics occurring when a currency bill is illuminated and scanned by a strip of focused light. The subsequent currency discrimination is based on the comparison of sensed optical or magnetic characteristics with prestored parameters relating to different currency denominations, while accounting for adequate tolerances reflecting differences among bills of a given denomination. Similarly, the acceptance or rejection of a bill is based on the comparison of sensed optical or magnetic characteristics with prestored parameters defining an acceptable bill, while accounting for adequate tolerances reflecting differences among bills of a given denomination.
After evaluating the bills, currency handling systems generally deliver the bills to one or more output receptacles or "pockets." Generally, the pocket to which a particular currency bill is delivered is dependent on the characteristics of the bill such as, for example, the optical or magnetic content of the bill. There is a need for a currency evaluation device offering greater flexibility by permitting the operator to specify which criteria to use in evaluating the bills and how bills meeting or failing to meet the user- selected criteria are to be handled. There is also a need for a currency evaluation device having an input/output means that is simple to operate, flexible and customizable.